Govt extends shutdown till May 16

The government has extended the ongoing nationwide closure of public and private offices until May 16 to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Public administration ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard today.

As per the gazette notification, the closure has been extended until May 14. As the next two days (Friday and Saturday) are weekly holidays, they will also be included.

Offices under ministries will be open as per requirement. The ministries or departments will give instructions to the offices for their work management, the notification read.

Apart from this, no one can leave and travel home from respective work areas during the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday.

It also said that all people and authorities must abide by the guidelines (hygiene rules) issued by the health department.

Emergency services such as electricity, water, gas and other fuels, fire services, port activities, cleaning activities, telephone, internet and postal services and vehicles and staff engaged in related services will be out of the shutdown purview, according to the notice.

All type of goods laden transports (trucks, lorries, cargo vessels, etc.) on roads and waterways will run during the shutdown, it said.

Transportation of agricultural products, fertiliser, insecticides, foods, goods, medical equipment, newspaper, daily essentials and kitchen markets, drug stores and hospitals would also remain out of purview of the shutdown.

The shutdown that started on March 26 was extended until May 5 earlier.

The government on April 23, while extending the closure till May 5, said factories, including pharmaceuticals and export-oriented manufacturing units, could reopen only after ensuring the workers' safety.